The first steps towards fluoroquinolone resistance in Hungarian pneumococci

The incidence of fluoroquinolone resistance among Hungarian routine laboratory Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates, collected in 2000-2002, in common with other European countries, was very low; only 5/304 strains (1.64%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin (MIC = 4 microg/ml), and the other fluoroquinolones showed full efficacy. However, we could identify the Lys-137-Asp amino acid change, caused by a point mutation in the QRDR of the parC gene, in five strains. Additionally, we observed a definite shift in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of all fluoroquinolones towards higher values throughout the study period. These two findings, coupled with the increasing consumption figures of fluoroquinolones, suggest that pneumococcal resistance looks poised to develop in Hungary.